Detection of blaCTX-M-15 in an integrative and conjugative element in four extensively drug-resistant Haemophilus parainfluenzae strains causing urethritis.

Haemophilus parainfluenzae is a commensal organism with rising numbers of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. This pathogen is of increasing clinical relevance in urogenital infection. The aim of this work was to identify and characterise the molecular mechanisms of resistance associated with four cephalosporin-resistant H. parainfluenzae strains collected from patients with urethritis. Antimicrobial resistance was determined by microdilution following European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing criteria. Strains were then analysed by whole-genome sequencing to determine clonal relationship and the molecular basis of antimicrobial resistance. Finally, a phylogenetic analysis was performed on all urogenital MDR strains of H. parainfluenzae previously isolated in our hospital. All strains were resistant to ß-lactams, macrolides, tetracycline, fluoroquinolones, chloramphenicol, cotrimoxazole, and aminoglycosides. The resistance profile was compatible with the presence of an extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL). Whole-genome sequencing detected blaCTX-M-15 that conferred high minimum inhibitory concentrations to cephalosporins in two novel integrative and conjugative elements (ICEHpaHUB6 and ICEHpaHUB7) that also harboured a blaTEM-1 ß-lactamase. This study shows a novel blaCTX-M-15 ESBL carried in an integrative conjugative element in four extensively drug-resistant H. parainfluenzae strains. This resistance determinant could be transmitted to other sexually transmitted pathogens and this is a cause for concern.

The Impact of Culturing the Organ Preservation Fluid on Solid Organ Transplantation: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: We analyzed the prevalence, etiology, and risk factors of culture-positive preservation fluid and their impact on the management of solid organ transplant recipients. METHODS: From July 2015 to March 2017, 622 episodes of adult solid organ transplants at 7 university hospitals in Spain were prospectively included in the study. RESULTS: The prevalence of culture-positive preservation fluid was 62.5% (389/622). Nevertheless, in only 25.2% (98/389) of the cases were the isolates considered "high risk" for pathogenicity. After applying a multivariate regression analysis, advanced donor age was the main associated factor for having culture-positive preservation fluid for high-risk microorganisms. Preemptive antibiotic therapy was given to 19.8% (77/389) of the cases. The incidence rate of preservation fluid-related infection was 1.3% (5 recipients); none of these patients had received preemptive therapy. Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients with high-risk culture-positive preservation fluid receiving preemptive antibiotic therapy presented both a lower cumulative incidence of infection and a lower rate of acute rejection and graft loss compared with those who did not have high-risk culture-positive preservation fluid. After adjusting for age, sex, type of transplant, and prior graft rejection, preemptive antibiotic therapy remained a significant protective factor for 90-day infection. CONCLUSIONS: The routine culture of preservation fluid may be considered a tool that provides information about the contamination of the transplanted organ. Preemptive therapy for SOT recipients with high-risk culture-positive preservation fluid may be useful to avoid preservation fluid-related infections and improve the outcomes of infection, graft loss, and graft rejection in transplant patients.

Interventions to decrease short-term peripheral venous catheter-related bloodstream infections: impact on incidence and mortality.

BACKGROUND: Short-term peripheral venous catheters are a significant source of healthcare-acquired bloodstream infections and a preventable cause of death. AIM: To assess the effectiveness of interventions applied to reduce the incidence and mortality associated with short-term peripheral venous catheter-related bloodstream infections (PVCR-BSIs). METHODS: The intervention included continuous PVCR-BSI surveillance, implementation of preventive measures related to catheter insertion and maintenance in accordance with evidence-based recommendations and the hospital's own data, front-line staff educational campaigns, and assessment of adherence to hospital guidelines by ward rounds. A Poisson regression model was used to estimate the trend of rate per year. FINDINGS: From January 2003 to December 2016, 227 episodes of PVCR-BSI were identified among hospitalized patients at a university hospital. The mean age of patients was 67 years (standard deviation 14 years), 69% were male and the median Charlson score was 3 (interquartile range 2-5). Staphylococcus aureus caused 115 (50.7%) episodes. Thirty-day mortality was 13.2%. After implementation of the intervention, the incidence of PVCR-BSIs decreased significantly from 30 episodes in 2003 (1.17 episodes/10,000 patient-days) to eight episodes in 2016 (0.36/10,000 patient-days). The number of episodes caused by S. aureus decreased from 18 episodes in 2003 (0.70/10,000 patient-days) to three episodes in 2016 (0.14/10,000 patient-day), and mortality decreased from seven cases in 2003 (0.27/10,000 patient-days) to zero cases in 2016 (0.00/10,000 patient-days). CONCLUSIONS: Surveillance, implementation of a multi-modal strategy and periodical assessment of healthcare workers' adherence to hospital guidelines led to a sustained reduction in PVCR-BSIs. This reduction had a major impact on S. aureus BSI rates and associated mortality.

Administration of taurolidine-citrate lock solution for prevention of central venous catheter infection in adult neutropenic haematological patients: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial (TAURCAT).

BACKGROUND: Catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) is one of the most frequent complications in patients with cancer who have central venous catheters (CVCs) implanted and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Taurolidine is a non-antibiotic agent with broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, which has been used as a lock solution to prevent CRBSI in some settings. However, little is known about its usefulness in high-risk adult neutropenic patients with cancer. This prospective randomised clinical trial aims to test the hypothesis that taurolidine-citrate lock solution is more effective than placebo for preventing catheter infection in neutropenic haematological patients. METHODS: This study is a prospective, multicentre, randomised, double-blinded, parallel, superiority, placebo-controlled trial. Patients with haematological cancer who are expected to develop prolonged neutropenia (> 7 days) and who have a non-tunnelled CVC implanted will be randomised to receive prophylactic taurolidine-citrate-heparin solution using a lock technique (study group) or heparin alone (placebo group). The primary endpoint will be bacterial colonisation of the CVC hubs. The secondary endpoints will be the incidence of CRBSI, CVC removal, adverse events, and 30-day case-fatality rate. DISCUSSION: The lock technique is a preventive strategy that inhibits bacterial colonisation in the catheter hubs, which is the initial step of endoluminal catheter colonisation and the development of infection. Taurolidine is a nontoxic agent that does not develop antibiotic resistance because it acts as an antiseptic rather than an antibiotic. Taurolidine has shown controversial results in the few trials conducted in cancer patients. These studies have important limitations due to the lack of data on adult and/or high-risk neutropenic patients, the type of catheters studied (tunnelled or ports), and the lack of information regarding the intervention (e.g. dwelling of the solution, time, and periodicity of the lock technique). If our hypothesis is proven, the study could provide important solid evidence on the potential usefulness of this preventive procedure in a population at high risk of CRBSI, in whom this complication may significantly impair patient outcome. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN, ISRCTN47102251 . Registered on 9 September 2015.

Late maternal hypothyroidism alters the expression of Camk4 in neocortical subplate neurons: a comparison with Nurr1 labeling.

Maternal thyroid hormones (THs) are essential for normal offspring's neurodevelopment even after onset of fetal thyroid function. This is particularly relevant for preterm children who are deprived of maternal THs following birth, are at risk of suffering hypothyroxinemia, and develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Expression of neocortical Ca(2+)/calmodulin kinase IV (Camk4), a genomic target of thyroid hormone, and nuclear receptor-related 1 protein (Nurr1), a postnatal marker of cortical subplate (SP) cells, was studied in euthyroid fetuses and in pups born to dams thyroidectomized in late gestation (LMH group, a model of prematurity), and compared with control and developmentally hypothyroid pups (C and MMI groups, respectively). In LMH pups, the extinction of heavy Camk4 expression in an SP was 1-2 days delayed postnatally compared with C pups. The heavy Camk4 and Nurr1 expression in the SP was prolonged in MMI pups, whereas heavy Camk4 and Nurr1 expression in layer VIb remains at P60. The abnormal expression of Camk4 in the cortical SP and in layer VIb might cause altered cortical connectivity affecting neocortical function.

Aneurismas de las arterias gastroduodenal y pancreaticoduodenales. Procedimientos quirurgicos. / Aneurysm of gastroduodenal and pancreatoduodenal arteries. Surgical procedures

Se presentan 3 pacientes con aneurismas de las arterias gastroduodenal y pancreaticoduodenal. Se hacen algunas consideraciones respecto a las modalidades tecnicas que el cirujano puede utilizar en el tratamiento de la afeccion

Aneurismas de las arterias gastroduodenal y pancreaticoduodenales. Procedimientos quirurgicos. / Aneurysm of gastroduodenal and pancreatoduodenal arteries. Surgical procedures

Se presentan 3 pacientes con aneurismas de las arterias gastroduodenal y pancreaticoduodenal. Se hacen algunas consideraciones respecto a las modalidades tecnicas que el cirujano puede utilizar en el tratamiento de la afeccion

Duodenopancreatectomia cefalica conservacion del piloro y oclusion del munon pancreatico. / Cephalic pancreaticoduodenectomy. Conservation of the pylorus and occlusion of the pancreatic stump

Se presenta una tecnica para la duodenopancreatectomia que utiliza algunos recursos empleados por diversos autores, son ellos: preservacion del piloro y primeros 3 o 4 cm del duodeno, obturacion del munon pancreatico evitando una anastomosis dificil, tal vez inutil, habitual fuente de complicaciones graves, y la construccion de la reparacion del transito por elevacion del primer ansa yeyunal. La modalidad propuesta ha sido empleada en 8 pacientes, 4 de ellos por encima de los 70 anos de edad. No hubo mortalidad imputable a la ejecucion tecnica del procedimiento; el unico deceso observado a los 17 dias del posoperatorio, en una mujer de 77 anos de edad, se debio al progreso de la insuficiencia hepatica, complicacion frecuente en las descompresiones biliares, aun con operaciones de menos envergadura como lo son las derivaciones biliodigestivas aisladas

Colangitis esclerosante primaria. / Primary sclerosing cholangitis

La colangitis esclerosante primaria es una afeccion infrecuente, de causa desconocida curso cronico e insidioso, y de problematico tratamiento. La incidencia, etiologia patologia y tratamiento son controvertidos La revision de la literatura nacional revela solo dos casos previos de acuerdo a los criterios rigidos de Myers y un tercero que se instalo luego de cirugia biliar.Los autores aportan dos nuevas observaciones, con los criterios expuestos, que no se asociaban a otra patologia

Colangitis esclerosante primaria. / Primary sclerosing cholangitis

La colangitis esclerosante primaria es una afeccion infrecuente, de causa desconocida curso cronico e insidioso, y de problematico tratamiento. La incidencia, etiologia patologia y tratamiento son controvertidos La revision de la literatura nacional revela solo dos casos previos de acuerdo a los criterios rigidos de Myers y un tercero que se instalo luego de cirugia biliar.Los autores aportan dos nuevas observaciones, con los criterios expuestos, que no se asociaban a otra patologia

Duodenopancreatectomia cefalica conservacion del piloro y oclusion del munon pancreatico. / Cephalic pancreaticoduodenectomy. Conservation of the pylorus and occlusion of the pancreatic stump

Se presenta una tecnica para la duodenopancreatectomia que utiliza algunos recursos empleados por diversos autores, son ellos: preservacion del piloro y primeros 3 o 4 cm del duodeno, obturacion del munon pancreatico evitando una anastomosis dificil, tal vez inutil, habitual fuente de complicaciones graves, y la construccion de la reparacion del transito por elevacion del primer ansa yeyunal. La modalidad propuesta ha sido empleada en 8 pacientes, 4 de ellos por encima de los 70 anos de edad. No hubo mortalidad imputable a la ejecucion tecnica del procedimiento; el unico deceso observado a los 17 dias del posoperatorio, en una mujer de 77 anos de edad, se debio al progreso de la insuficiencia hepatica, complicacion frecuente en las descompresiones biliares, aun con operaciones de menos envergadura como lo son las derivaciones biliodigestivas aisladas

Ectasias venosas del colon derecho. / Venous ectasias of the right colon

Las ectasias venosas que afectan al ciego, y que se presentan en edades adultas y provectas de la vida, son lesiones adquiridas, por lo que deben ser separadas de las malformaciones vasculares. El diagnostico solo es posible con el adecuado y oportuno estudio angiografico, asi como la responsabilidad de ejecutar la reseccion colonica se basa en las imagenes radiologicas, ya que en la laparotomia exploradora, es habitual no hallar las lesiones. Se resumen dos casos de pacientes con severas proctorragias que curaron luego de practicada la hemicolectomia derecha y en quienes la arteriografia posibilito el diagnostico y la anatomia patologica lo ratifico

Ectasias venosas del colon derecho. / Venous ectasias of the right colon

Las ectasias venosas que afectan al ciego, y que se presentan en edades adultas y provectas de la vida, son lesiones adquiridas, por lo que deben ser separadas de las malformaciones vasculares. El diagnostico solo es posible con el adecuado y oportuno estudio angiografico, asi como la responsabilidad de ejecutar la reseccion colonica se basa en las imagenes radiologicas, ya que en la laparotomia exploradora, es habitual no hallar las lesiones. Se resumen dos casos de pacientes con severas proctorragias que curaron luego de practicada la hemicolectomia derecha y en quienes la arteriografia posibilito el diagnostico y la anatomia patologica lo ratifico